Vittorio Stamos
Vittorio Stamos, better known throughout much of his career as Don Stamos, is an American wrestler currently under contract with IUWAR, appearing on the IUW brand. He spent the majority of his career in the Controversial Wrestling Federation, winning multiple championships during his time there. 'Early Life' Stamos grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his parents had moved while he was very young. After his graduation from a local high school, he became involved with the mob, though how and why are unknown. He moved to Baltimore, where he met a fellow wiseguy named Jesse Graziani, who happened to be a homosexual. After Graziani's death at the hands of a local KKK chapter, Stamos was arrested assaulting the men responsible and quickly sentenced to five years in the Bristol Asylum for the Criminally Insane. While serving his time there, Stamos would meet both his future wife, Leigh Amherst, and Lewiston Cates, who would become his best friend and tag-team partner through much of his career. Professional Wrestling Career Early Career (2002) Stamos' first few months as a professional wrestler were spent in various small-time independent promotions where he honed his wrestling skills and won a few local titles. During this time, he and Cates began to team, calling themselves the Partners in Crime. His first break came in July 2002, when he was approached by John Austin, who convinced him to join World Mayhem Wrestling. Stamos won his debut match, defeating Venom, and later won his first championship, the wMw Hardcore title. He nearly captured the wMw World Heavyweight Championship after convincing the locker room to vote for him as a joke; the antiquated wMw system nearly gave him the victory, but the deciding vote was fired and the final tally was 8 for Champion Tommy Nitro, 8 for Stamos, and 1 for Kususlut. The rest of his wMw career would be spent in the shadow of Static or unsuccessfully contending for the wMw Tag Team Championship as one-half of the Mega-Jobbers. He grew frustrated, and controversy surrounding a PPV no-show led to his firing from wMw in August 2002. As his time in wMw came to a close, Stamos entered negotiations with then-CWF owner Game. Two weeks later, he debuted on CWF television, costing Kris Style his CWF North Atlantic Championship, which Stamos would fail to win a few weeks later. His time in CWF quickly became unsatisfying as well. Soon after failing to capture the North Atlantic title, Stamos was forced into a match with announcer Wally Margaret Wahlberg, whom he'd been humiliating on-air since coming into CWF. Interference from Wally's brother, fellow announcer Ed Marlon Wahlberg would cost Stamos the match. Though Stamos defeated Ed a week later, at Drastic Measures, Stamos and his girlfriend, Leigh, would be defeated by Ed, Wally and their sister, ring announcer Irene Ursula Wahlberg, in a handicap match. Stamos left the company soon after. Stamos became a drifter, briefly returning to wMw just as that company folded. He then spent a few weeks in xCw, a small promotion run by his nemesis, Static. When IUW star Howdypimp hosted a special IUW Wreckage to showcase new talent to the company's staff, Stamos secured a tryout with Chain. Though he made a good impression and received the support of half the IUW locker room, then-IUW owner Bane would turn him down; Bane had been present for the incidents that led to Stamos' departure from wMw and did not trust him. Stamos would then set up UWE with MW, and was announced as 50% on-air owner (the other 50% was to go to Triple Six), but he left soon after for personal reasons and upon his return, discovered he no longer had a place in UWE. 'Explicit Wrestling Organization' (2003) His days of wandering were soon to come to an end. Howdypimp had left IUW to create his own promotion, the Explicit Wrestling Organization. Stamos had been on his short list and was soon contacted; a deal was quickly struck. The new promotion opened its doors in January 2003, and Stamos found himself in a tournament for the EWO Universal Championship. He would make it to the finals, where fellow upstart Blyss defeated him to become the inaugural champion. Stamos would soon run into Wally Margaret Wahlberg again as well, and the announcer did not survive the encounter. After failing to capture the Universal title, Stamos became embroiled in a savage feud with Regulation X. The reasons for the feud are unknown, but apparently significant, as the two fought a brutal war for supremacy. During a High Street Brawl, Stamos would indignify Regulation with a thermometer. Regulation won out in the end, breaking Stamos' head open by driving it through a toilet, then pinning the mobster in their final encounter. This signaled the beginning of both men's rise. Stamos' first main event followed less than a month later. EWO Champion Falcon had been stripped of his title after his sudden departure to EMW. Howdy decided to have the next champion decided in a company-wide tournament. Stamos would defeat Howdy himself to reach the final match against Black Jehovah, a newcomer to EWO. Jehovah would walk away Champion, but Stamos was not deterred. He would constantly antagonize the "Lovechild of Lucifer" on EWO programming until finally Jehovah granted Stamos a title match. Jehovah was so sure of victory that he allowed Stamos to pick the stipulation. The mobster would choose to have the match take place at the Bristol Asylum, the winner being the man who could escape that hell through the front doors first. At Reign of Terror, Stamos and Jehovah literally tore each other apart in their quest for the EWO gold, a quest finally won by Stamos after interference from Freddie Manson. Stamos would celebrate his title win despite his injuries the next night, complete with a special appearance by longtime friend and then-CWF Champion Legion. One month later at Immortal Sin, Stamos would solidify his hold on the title by defeating Jehovah and Manson in a three way match for the title. The end was nigh, however, as Stamos would be forced to defend his championship in a second Eye of the Storm match. To add insult to injury, EWO owner Regulation X stated that if Stamos were to lose the title, he would have to leave the company. With no other choice, Stamos accepted - and lost to Sean Savage. As a result, Stamos was never seen on EWO television from then until its close in October. 'Controversial Wrestling Federation' (2003-2008) Return (2003) On the same night of his departure from EWO, Stamos would return to CWF programming by interfering in the main event of Retribution - a CWF World title match between Legion and Atlas. Along with Enigma, Stamos and Legion would destroy Atlas, John Reyes and the Coalition, stating that a new era had been born. Those once looked over by the company, they said, would now run the company as they saw fit. The Unforgiven was born. Stamos enjoyed initial successes while part of the Unforgiven. He quickly defeated Wiz to gain the Commissionership of CWF, then defeated legend TripleH4:20 in a grudge match. His girlfriend, Leigh, would almost walk out on him following the bloodbath, but Stamos caught up to her and proposed. She accepted. While the newly engaged couple prepared for their nupitals, the Unforgiven blew apart. Legion and Enigma started bickering, then outright trying to kill each other. Enigma went so far as to cut Legion's brake lines, putting him in the hospital, near death. A week later, Enigma would reveal that the trap was originally set for Katrina Arcangela, Legion's girlfriend at the time - and Stamos' cousin. Enigma reasoned that Katrina was holding Legion back and tried to remove her - but instead started a war with Stamos himself. When Malevolence rolled around, Stamos and Leigh tied the knot in front of a sold out crowd, with Legion, Katrina, Enigma, Vixen and Mark Jamison in attendence. Later that night, Enigma would toss Legion from the scaffolding during their Pathway to Hell match, crippling him. Supported by his new wife as well as Legion's brother Adam Linoge, Stamos took on Enigma in a cage match at Drastic Measures, emerging victorious, but Legion returned, shunning his cane and destroying both Stamos and Enigma. Legion would later defeat Stamos in a Mafia Rules match and that chapter of their history came to a close. The last notable event before the CWF roster split was his feud with Sabbat. At this point, Stamos was growing weary of wrestling, wanting to settle down with his wife. The two would ultimately face off in the revived Bristol Asylum for the Criminally Insane in the second-ever Asylum Match. After a brutal battle, Sabbat would emerge victorious. Roster Split & Restart (2004) Times didn't get any easier for Stamos, as the CWF underwent a roster split that divided it into two competing factions: the Xtreme Wrestling Alliance and the Innovators of Elite Wrestling Association. Stamos would have little success during the split, originally a member of the XWA, where his wife, Leigh was brutally attacked by Dark Warrior, a former gofer of Stamos' who'd had his neck broken at the mobster's hands. Dark Warrior would defeat Stamos, who jumped ship to the IEWA and became Xtreme Lee Gorgeous's enforcer. Soon after, he became embroiled in a feud with Big Red Monster. Although it appeared Stamos was out of his league, he held his own. At Oppression, the two faced off in an Inferno match. Despite dirty tactics on both sides and the interference of Leigh herself, Stamos finally lost the match when his longtime friend, Lewiston Cates, interfered and knocked both men out with his bat. He then dragged BRM's body over that of Stamos' and forced the referee to end the match with a controversial pinfall. It seemed the two would then feud, but CWF had bigger things planned. It is assumed the two solved their difference offscreen. In the winter of 2004, the CWF underwent a "restart" - a ruse by Adam Linoge to gain control over the company. Stamos would once again fight Big Red Monster, this time over the CWF Pure Violence Championship. Stamos would fail in his endeavour, and disappear a month later. The Return of the EWO (2005) Stamos once again reappeared in the summer of 2005, interfering in the Four Dimensions of Chaos match between Legion and his brother at Bloodlust. Despite his interference, Legion suffered extensive injuries and was unable to wrestle. Stamos took up his old friend's banner, trying to rid the CWF of Linoge's evil influence. At UnRestricted IV, Stamos and Linoge squared off in a New York Streetfight that Stamos later called a "Last Fucker Moving" match. Linoge won the brutal contest, then on the following broadcast, revealed to Stamos that Leigh was a spy for him all along. Enraged, Stamos challenged Linoge to one last match, and at Tribulation defeated the owner in an Ultimate Submission match. In the wake of Linoge's defeat, Stamos began a diabolical scheme to wrest control from Linoge. Around this time, several superstars began making mysterious attacks against their CWF counterparts, and following 2004's Malevolence, Stamos revealed that he had planned this very situation three years ago and had quietly been implementing it ever since. The Explicit Wrestling Organization, composed of Stamos, Janus KopyKat, Blyss, Marcus Richards, Bomber, Sabbat, Xanatos, and Reaver began their assault on a beleagured and fractured CWF. Big Red Monster and Legion would end Xanatos and Reaver's involvement with a horrific beatdown to regain the CWF Tag Team Championships. Lewiston Cates refused to join his old friends, despite pressure from Stamos and the appearance of former EWO stars David Morales and C-Dogg. Eventually two teams took form to clash for control of CWF: Team CWF was comprised of Legion, Big Red Monster, Kris Style and John Austin. Team EWO was comprised of Blyss, Marcus Richards, Sabbat, and Janus Kopykat. Stamos and Lewiston Cates were first named special enforcers for the match, but Stamos' machinations with former CWF legal assistant Marisa DiScala would add them to the match. Marisa would also be instrumental in creating 'no-fire' clauses in each EWO member's contract to prevent Linoge from firing the saboteurs. The EWO hijacked the PPV the match was to occur on, renaming it Reign of Terror in their image. The five on five battle would end with the double-cross of Lewiston Cates, who joined his EWO brethren. Jake Chronos would defect from CWF on the same night. Stamos would banish Linoge to the Bristol Asylum in one of his first acts as the reinstated owner of EWO. EWO would ride high on their victories for two months, going so far as to force CWF superstars to wrestle in high school gyms to keep their jobs. Little by little, an organized resistance began to take form. The EWO gave CWF a chance to regain control at Hostile Takeover, but EWO would dominate all but one match - Jake Chronos' title defense against Geo. The next Saturday, Jake was mauled by the combined EWO and ejected from the group. Geo took his place. Even though things seemed to be going Stamos' way, his ego began to get the better of him. Over his legal assistant Marisa DiScala's advice, he signed a contract for a final Best of Seven matches against the CWF, firing her in the process. If EWO won, the resistance would end. Stamos himself did not participate nor even interfere in any of the matches, later stating that "If they couldn't do it on their own, then they failed themselves." The CWF won the Best of Seven at Drastic Measures, culminating with Hawk unifying the EWO and CWF World titles against Blyss and Mercer. Many now-former EWO members expressed their disgust for Stamos for his handling of the matches. Blyss outright threatened him, while Bomber confronted Stamos and set off a volatile feud that saw Bomber hospitalized three times and both men requiring medical attention after their Mafia Rules match at Conquest. Proving himself able, however, Stamos came out after Scott Moore had retained his title against Big Red Monster and revealed that before the Best of Seven had taken place, he'd signed himself a contract granting him a title shot of his choosing at any point. Stamos chose that moment and soundly defeated Moore to win the International Championship. CWF After EWO's Defeat (2005-2008) When CWF defeated the EWO, many expected Linoge to regain control. At first it seemed this was the case - until Stamos' supposedly ex-wife Leigh took over all ownership responsibilities and embarked on a program to revitalize the ruined CWF. Furious at Stamos' repeated attempts to thwart her, then his International title win, Leigh would back a group of up-and-comers dedicated to change in CWF: the New Era of Controversy, consisting of The Predecessor, James Faith and A.T. Fusion. Cecil Massie would soon join the group. After Leigh's Head of Security, Bauer could not rid her of her ex-husband, she sicced James Faith on him. The two would begin a cat-and-mouse feud that reached its high point during their International Championship match at UnRestricted V. They didn't disappoint, and those who attended the New York show saw a spectacular main event that ended with Stamos' arm held high in victory. His luck would run out soon after, however, when he lost his title to Geo on a weekly live event. Soon after, at Oppression, Stamos was preparing to finish James Faith off for good when he was attacked by the other three members of the NEOC. Faith would win the match and the day. Stamos disappeared after his loss, not to be seen for months. During this time, Leigh stepped down after being deemed unable to perform her duties due to an attack by Sabbat at UnRestricted. Stamos returned to CWF programming in May 2007, wanting revenge on the now-crumbling New Era of Controversy for their attacks at Oppression. He never got the chance, as Fusion and Faith retired soon after his return, while Cecil became CWF Champion. Adam Linoge, once again in control of the company, would toy with his nemesis by making him fight Ed Marlon Wahlberg, Irene Ursula Wahlberg, Carl Wahlberg the Fifth, Nate Bob Wahlberg, and Nicholai Gregorivich Wahlberg, the surviving members of the Wahlberg Family in a 5-on-1 no disqualification match that saw their devastation at the irate mobster's hand. Stamos would continue to call for his revenge, and continue to be ignored outright. Vegetto would take extreme offense to Stamos' demands and kickstart a feud between the two. The course of this feud would see both men attempting to "off" the other, Vegetto's manager Devon Paige get manhandled as well as involvement by No Holds Champion Sabbat. Old grudges would return and, much to Vegetto's dismay, Stamos would win his first No Holds Barred Championship on June 27, 2007. Just over a month later, Adam Linoge would strip him of the championship, citing "visa difficulties" which turned out to be Linoge's own doing. This didn't stop Stamos from reaching out and attempting to take anything he thought was his. Soon after being stripped of the No Holds Barred title, he would take place in the third Blind Ladder Match with Blyss, Sabbat, Kars, Xarlos, Laish and Shujinko Hamasaki at Oppression. On the line were shots for the International and World Heavyweight Championships, the first spot in the upcoming Anarchy Brawl, as well as the 30th spot in the Anarchy Brawl. The match would see Stamos come out empty-handed, after almost clinching the World title shot. He immediately confronted the man who'd cost him that shot, Laish, who had won both Brawl spots. The two would then engage in months of head games as Laish said Vittorio wasn't ready for a World title shot. Despite Laish's statements, Stamos would eliminate him from the Anarchy Brawl twice to win a World title shot anytime in the next twelve months. Despite his early No Holds Barred setback, Don Stamos had been rising steadily through the ranks since his return in May. With all good things come bad things, and in December, while preparing for a match with Laish at Deception, Stamos received word that his cousin, Katrina Atherton, had committed suicide. Her husband, and Stamos' good friend, Legion, had essentially cut her out of his life after it was revealed she had paid off Buzzsaw to allow Legion to win. Her funeral was low-key, but it is known that Stamos, Leigh and Legion were in attendence with their families. She left behind a cryptic note, as well as an unfinished mission to get her husband and cousin to reconcile long-standing differences. On the show following Deception, after a two-week hiatus for the company, Stamos and Legion were thrust into a match with each other. Despite it being a normally sanctioned match, it became a bloodbath that Stamos barely won. Laish and Sabbat then came out and brutally attacked Legion, taunting him with Katrina's death. Katrina's mission finally came to an end as Stamos stormed the ring for the save. Stamos and Legion would reluctantly put their pasts behind them to deal with Laish and Sabbat, the first time the two hadn't been at each other's throats since 2004. Two two former Trinity members would play mind games, making it appear that the Atherton home in Manchester was haunted by Katrina's spirit. Even though an unknown woman would say that even after that revelation all isn't what it seemed, they were attacked en masse by followers of Sabbat's. Adam Linoge, having changed his ways, sacrificed himself to allow them to get away from the scene. Legion and Vittorio then sought and were granted an Asylum Match at Hostile Takeover, with the stipulation that to end this war the winning team must leave the institution at the same time. Stamos and Legion emerged victorious; neither Laish nor Sabbat have appeared on CWF television since. Around this time, Stamos began to pursue the CWF World Heavyweight Championship, a goal that would eventually consume him. Standing in his way was Buzzsaw, who had given Legion a host of problems and proceeded to do the same to Vittorio. One particularly nasty attack saw Buzzsaw grind Stamos' head into the unprotected concrete under the ringside floor pads, ripping his forehead open and creating a scar that Stamos still bears to this day. The two squared off at Conquest in a match that took both men to their limits, but Buzzsaw emerged victorious. Stamos did not allow this to deter him from his quest to capture the World title, and at Oppression, his persistence was rewarded with a title shot against CWF Champion Shujinko Hamasaki, Sean Knight, and Buzzsaw in War Games 5. Stamos pinned Knight to advance to the final match, only to face both Shujinko and Buzzsaw, who had battled to a draw; the odds proved too much for Stamos to overcome and Shujinko pinned him to retain his championship. As the Establishment began to tighten its grip on the CWF, Stamos found himself exiled from the company. On the edict of then-owner Magic, he was forbidden to appear on CWF programming indefinitely. Turning to his mob superior, adviser, and family friend, Raphael Santi, Stamos was granted asylum in IUW, where he'd been previously rebuffed in 2002. Stamos found himself besieged by a resentful Bane, who still held his actions in wMw against him. Though Bane defeated Stamos at Forsaken, Vittorio finally regained the monster's respect and the bad blood between the two was forgotten. Around this time, IUW began gearing up for a cross-company tag team division, set to debut on a special show, Unholy Alliances. Teams were put together, sometimes involving a star from each company. Unione Siciliana was one such team, an alliance between Stamos and fellow Italian-American Triple Six. The division quickly fell through when CWF backed out, and what amicability there was between Stamos and Six went with it. The animosity grew so bad that Six contacted his own mob connections and forced Santi to cut Stamos out of the life, a move Stamos resents to this day. The two would meet in a furious clash at Access Denied, with Six emerging victorious. Soon after, Stamos' exile was lifted. Seeking Greener Pastures FIST Entertainment Department Xtreme (2009) During his brief return to CWF from exile, Stamos became convinced that his chances of capturing the CWF title were nonexistent, and left the company to pursue a possible World title legacy elsewhere. His first stop was FEDX, where Stamos found himself out of his element after having been in CWF for six years and locked in a brutal struggle with The Murdering Knee. TMK resented Stamos' arrogance, setting out to prove that joining FEDX for the simple task of capturing its World title was a grave mistake. At Wrestling Hero: World Tour, the Murdering Knee made a clear case for just that, brutalizing Stamos during their match, but Stamos ultimately won the contest. He then proceeded to leave FEDX for IUW, who had turned him down in 2003 and left him wondering, "what if." It is presumed that his departure right after defeating the Murdering Knee earned Stamos a lifelong death warrant from TMK. Independent Underground Wrestling/IUWX (2009) The IUW of his exile and the IUW of 2009 were polar opposites. IUW was currently undergoing a series of setbacks that saw many of its top stars, such as Lee Hollywood, Ian Mason, Jay Quinlan, Triple Six, the Vigilante and Breakneck Tiger leave the company, which was turned over to Xarlos Angeles and the Advocate, then IUW Ultraviolence Champion. To Stamos, the situation seemed ripe for exploitation, and he quickly set his sights on the IUW World Heavyweight Championship. The first obstacle in his path was Alex Kincaid, who harbored similar ambitions. The two squared off in a savage match that nearly saw Stamos' career ended when Kincaid dropped him on his head. Somehow, Stamos emerged victorious, and he went on to challenge the Advocate for his Ultraviolence Championship. The Advocate initially blew him off, but Stamos refused to be deterred, and his effort earned him a place in a three-way title match at Our Time against Ramone and the Advocate. The stakes were soon raised when it was announced that the match would now be for two falls, one for the Ultraviolence title, and the other for the vacant IUW title. Stamos would pin the Advocate in the first fall, capturing the UV title, but would be pinned in turn as the Advocate became the new IUW Champion. Moments later, Xarlos, the Advocate and FEDX owner Deathtouch announced the merger of the two companies, now to be called International Underground Wrestling Xtreme. IUWX would not be kind to Stamos. His ambition placed him at odds with the powers-that-be, and he was quickly defeated by Ramone for his Ultraviolence Championship. Stamos set his sights on the King of the Underground tournament, set to take place at Tequila Sunrise, and his first round opponent, Dante Arrik. In the end, Arrik would defeat Stamos, who left the company shortly after to return to CWF. Controversial Wrestling Federation (2010-2011) His grand return to the company he had called home for so long took place at UnRestricted VIII, when he interfered in the Blind Ladder match that consisted of his best friend Lewiston Cates, Marcus Draven, Hawk, Sangreal, Chris Heel and Anarchy. As Cates reached for the last remaining briefcase, Stamos ran down the ramp and pushed the ladder over, hoping to make off with the case and what he presumed to be a World title shot. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to abscond with the case, with which Cates won the CWF Television Championship. More importantly, Stamos' actions had created a bitter rift between the two friends. Though Stamos tried to pass it off as "just business," Cates believed Stamos had become corrupted by his quest for the World title. Stamos and Cates would go for each other's throats, with Cates defeating Stamos at Oppression to retain his title. Still believing that Stamos was not too far gone, Cates enlisted the help of Vittorio's "ex-wife," Leigh, to force Stamos to his senses. During a TV title rematch at Malevolence, Leigh attempted to interfere on her husband's behalf and prevent a chair shot, but was caught in the act by Cates. When he turned the chair on her, Stamos threw himself in its path, saving his wife and earning a disqualification victory. It had turned out that despite popular belief from 2004 onward, Leigh and Vittorio had not actually been divorced, or even separated, though nobody knew why they allowed the illusion to remain or perpetrated it themselves. Though he had again retained his TV title, Cates' fury was amplified when interviewer and friend Sabrina Hart told him that Stamos and his wife had terrorized her. He set out to make Leigh "scream," antagonizing Vittorio in the process. Stamos would cost Cates his title, and the two would square off for one final cage match at Culmination. The match contract stipulated that this was to be the last meeting between the friends, which Stamos won despite having the heavy cage door slammed on his head when his wife pulled him through the door seconds before Cates climbed over the cage and dropped to the floor. Lewiston did get his scream, however, slamming the cage door just inches above her head, but the saga was over. Less than a month after this match, Lewiston Cates was struck and killed by another driver while changing a tire just outside his Brownsville, Texas hometown. His funeral was little more than a family affair, but it is known that Stamos and his wife attended. In the aftermath of his violent feud with Cates, Stamos grew resentful of CWF President Jackson J. Jones IV's very public support of Chris Heel, whom Stamos termed his "Golden Boy." The animosity between the president and Stamos grew quickly; when Stamos nearly throttled him one live television, demanding a title shot, it became clear to not only Jones, but the world, that Stamos' quest was causing severe deterioration of his mental stability. Things grew worse for the CWF President as the Reaper coopted 50% ownership of the company and proceeded to rip it in half in his "Revolution.' Stamos intially remained on Annihilation with Jones, but their relationship deteriorated to the point where Vittorio was unceremoniously traded to Revolution, at which point, Stamos turned his neurosis on the Reaper. Stamos would participate in the King of Controversy tournament to be held on the two-night Conquest event, defeating Shane Simpson and Sean Connolly to earn a place in the finals match, which Insane Shane was forced to forfeit due to injury. Though Stamos was the legitimate winner of the tournament, the Reaper forced him to face Josh Harmony, who attacked him with the king's scepter and pinned him to "win" the tournament. Moments later, Harmony would turn on Reaper, shattering his skull with that same scepter and leaving Conquest with the World title Stamos had been moments away from cashing his King of Controversy shot in for. After a brief recovery period, Stamos again threw himself into his pursuit of the championship, which had been vacated after Harmony could not make his mandatory 30-day defense. The vacant title was to be contested at UnRestricted IX, between Chris Heel and Jonathan Stevens. Stamos wormed his way into the match by revealing that the Reaper had granted him his rematch clause, albeit under duress. At UnRestricted, Stamos' dreams finally came true as he captured his first CWF World Heavyweight Championship. It quickly became apparent that this wasn't enough for him; his megalomania had so corrupted him that Stamos now felt he had t o be the greatest champion ever. To accomplish this, Stamos hired lookalikes for Se7en and Blyss, whom he defeated, claiming victory over the originals. He attempted to do the same with Big Red Monster, but Bomber, who had won a shot at Stamos' title, dressed up as BRM to land a surprise Jersey Street Kick on the champion. Stamos would retain his title against Bomber at Night of Controversy, but Bomber was soon back for a second go at Malevolence, where Stamos retained his championship again after Bomber slammed a chair over his head; that disqualification was the deciding fall. Stamos' next challenger would be Chris Heel, whom Stamos vowed would never take his championship. Unfortunately for Stamos, at Culmination, Heel did just that. Now Stamos' instability would prompt him into doing everything he could to regaining his championship. After losing his rematch, Stamos managed to secure one final match, which if he lost he'd never get to compete for the World title again. Stamos maximized the opportunity and became the fourth man to hold the CWF World title twice by defeating Heel; after the match Heel snapped and attacked Stamos' neck, reaggravating the old injury and nearly breaking it in the process. Heel demanded his rematch the following week, and the injured champion's pride would not let him forfeit the match. He came down to the ring to compete, but was decimated by Heel, who recaptured his title. The next few months were spent recuperating from his injury, and Stamos finally returned to CWF television at the beginning of the "Road to UnRestricted." He had changed little psychologically, and his focus was now on the one remaining achievement he had yet to accomplish: entry into the Hall of Controversy. Stamos' blatant disregard for the sanctity of that institution and his demands and guarantees of entry caused a new rift between himself and Legion. Battling his own savior's complex, Legion allowed himself to become a savior once more, determined to beat some sense into Stamos, or destroy him trying. The two faced off at UnRestricted X, in a savage match that saw Stamos go down in defeat at Legion's hands. To compound this humiliation, his entry to the Hall of Controversy did not occur, and his wife had had enough of Stamos' psychosis. She contacted the IUW Board of Directors without her husband's knowledge and negotiated a contract with them to get her husband into a new environment. Stamos' days in CWF were over. IUWAR (2011-Present) Given that his meltdowns on CWF television were very public, it should not be surprising that Stamos' reputation preceded him to the reinstituted IUW. The normally frosty reception outsiders recieve in the Underground was much more frigid than usual; Stamos found himself at rock bottom, in a new environment that clearly despised him and set up in a locker room literally filled with human excrement. His problems would be compounded with a flurry of losses to Phantasm and Adrian Sakai, before he finally managed to defeat Toni Ramone at Access Denied. Very slowly, things began to turn around for him, though mostly due to events out of his control. IUW Champion and Black List leader Jonathan Stevens had been at odds with Mike Wilson and his cadre of friends that would eventually become Complete Entertainment. In return for a "hit" on Jay Quinlan, Stevens awarded Stamos with a new, but most importantly, clean locker room. Though this meant compromising the values Leigh had been instilling in her husband, they agreed. Tensions with NTWICE would grow as Stamos and Breakneck began gunning for each other, with Breakneck intentionally antagonizing the former mobster by constantly attempting to pick up Leigh. Stamos would team up with Matt Connor as part of the "Redneck Mafia" to challenge NTWICE for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships at Final Punishment in a losing effort. In an effort to tweak the Redneck Mafia, MW had used his power as Revolutionary Cup Champion to announce that Stamos would be entering that night's Final Punishment Rumble at #1, with Connor entering #2, and neither would come close to winning the Rumble. Stamos did not allow these events to deter him, and his determination paid off in the form of the #3 Seed in the seasonal playoffs for the Revolutionary Cup. His quarterfinal opponent would be the #6 seed, the reigning Cup Champion Mike Wilson himself. MW derided Stamos, stating Stamos didn't have the ability to defeat him, and that if somehow Stamos were to win, it would devastate IUW. At the Underground Anniversary, Stamos pulled off the unthinkable and defeated MW to advance in the playoffs. Soon, Stamos found himself facing not just one opponent, but three, as MW expanded the finals to encompass all four men. At Our Time X, Stamos would face off against Triple Six, Matt Connor and Riven in an Iron Man match for the Cup. Stamos won the match, and the Cup, and set about forming an agenda for his reign. At the following Disorder, his plans were invalidated when Dave Wylde, Alex Kincaid, Andrew Fusion and Triple Six announced that WAR was not only returning, but taking the Cup and half the roster with it. Unwilling to hand over the Cup, Stamos was decimated by the traitors. Moments later, Complete Entertainment came out to confront the turncoats and MW pinned the blame on Stamos, stating that he knew this would happen if he didn't retain. With his Cup gone and his image tarnished by a series of events that were out of his control, Stamos has begun to challenge MW's power in IUW, stating that if it weren't for MW, there would be no WAR, and blaming him for not coming to his aid during the attack or otherwise lifting a finger to prevent the betrayal. 'Personal Life' Stamos resides in Baltimore, Maryland, on the shore of Chesapeake Bay, with his wife and their two Siberian huskies, Stalin and Anastasia. Despite his place of residence, Stamos is and always has been a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He is also an avid science-fiction aficionado and regularly attends conventions so long as he's not on the road. In 2003, Stamos starred in a Vanilla Coke commercial with fellow CWF star Wiz. As a result of this commercial, Stamos has been named a lifetime spokesman for Vanilla Coke. Stamos remains close friends with many of his former EWO compatriots behind the scenes, including Bomber, J.T. Mockery and the Reaper. The same is true of those whom he wrestled with in the independents before his big break, and an assortment of personalities from wMw and CWF, including Smiley, John Austin and the Vigilante. After Lewiston Cates' death in 2009, his former manager and girlfriend's sister, Madison Cantrell, decided to opt out of her ownership of his Double Deuce Bar & Grill in Brownsville, Texas. Stamos purchased the property from her and has served as its proprietor ever since, in memory of his friend. He still has a special booth there adorned with pictures and newspaper clippings framed and mounted on the wall celebrating his wrestling career, and after Cates' passing, his friend's as well. Leigh Vittorio met his future wife during his incarceration at the Bristol Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Due to the proximity of her hometown of Baltimore to the capital, she had become a financial analyst for the Department of Corrections, part of the Department of Justice. Despite his time, they quickly hit it off, and began dating in earnest after his release from the Asylum in early 2002. Though initially supportive of her boyfriend's wrestling ambitions, his reckless attitude in several very dangerous bouts, including the initial Asylum Match, the second Eye of the Storm and his glass table match with TripleH4:20 caused her to become fearful that he would be permanently incapacitated. She nearly walked out on him following the latter match at King of Controversy 2003, but a surprise proposal from Stamos and a vow that he'd take things more seriously made up her mind to stay; she accepted his proposal. The two were married live at Malevolence 2003, with close friends, the CWF President at the time, and even Enigma and Legion's sister Vixen present. They appeared to divorce late in 2004 following Adam Linoge's accusations that she had spied for him, but this turned out not to be the case. They allowed the image to perpetuate, however, and even actively promoted it following the defeat of the EWO and Stamos' International Championship reign. Leigh left CWF television in late 2005 following an attempted crucifixion by Sabbat at UnRestricted V; he managed to drive a stake through her right hand before her rescue by Bomber, and she still bears a scar on that hand to this day. She returned to CWF television in 2008 and has sporadically appeared since, often disapproving of her husband's greed while in CWF, or simply enjoying time away from the intrigues of IUWAR. The Atherton Family Stamos' connection to the rather nebulous Atherton Family arises from the marriage of his cousin Katrina to Adam Atherton, better known by his ring name, Legion. The family also includes Legion's brothers Jason Vile, Adam Linoge and Sabbat, and his sister, Vixen. John Austin and Lewiston Cates are often counted as associates of the family due to their connections to Legion and Stamos, respectively. 'In Wrestling' Moveset *'Finishing Moves' **The Perfect Crime (Power of the Punch) **The Kiss of Death (Sweet Chin Music) **The One-Way Ride (HBK Diving Elbow Drop) *'Signature Moves' **Stamos Smash (Codebreaker) **Chicago Typewriter (Curbstomp - into Bottom Turnbuckle) **Cobra Clutch (also submission finisher) Stables *'The Unforgiven' (with Enigma and Legion) *'The EWO' Tag Teams *'The Partners in Crime' (with Lewiston Cates) *'Unione Siciliana' (with Triple Six; event cancelled before debut) *'The Mega-Jobbers' (with the Good One) *'The Redneck Mafia' (with ''Matt Connor) '''Managers' *'Leigh Stamos' (2002-present) *'Legion' (2003, during injury) *'Marisa DiScala' (Legal Advisor during EWO Takeover) *'Raphael Santi '(Former Mob Superior) Entrance Music *"Meet the Creeper" by Rob Zombie (2002-2004) *"Last Beat of Your Heart" by Mission UK (2004) *"The Monster is Loose" by Meat Loaf (2005-2006) *"Push It to the Limit" by Paul Engemann (2007) *"Burn In My Light" by Mercy Drive (2007) *"I'm Not Jesus" by Apocalyptica (2008-present) **Indytron Entrance Video *"Thunderstruck" by AC/DC (The Partners in Crime) *"The Unforgiven" by Metallica (The Unforgiven) 'Championships' 'Accomplishments' *Explicit Wrestling Organization **Various awards, January-June 2003 *Controversial Wrestling Federation **Most Underrated (CWF Year End Awards, 2005) **Most Improved (CWF Six Months Later Awards, 2006) **Heel of the Year (CWF Year End Awards, 2010) **CWF Grand Slam Champion **10th Greatest CWF Star of All-Time (25 Greatest CWFers of All-Time, as voted by CWF alumni) Notable Feuds World Mayhem Wrestling *Venom *Static Controversial Wrestling Federation *The Wahlberg Family *Enigma *Big Red Monster *Dark Warrior *James Faith *Sabbat *Buzzsaw *Laish *Lewiston Cates *Chris Heel *J. Jackson Jones IV *The Reaper *Bomber *Legion Explicit Wrestling Organization *Regulation X *Black Jehovah FIST Entertainment Department Xtreme *The Murdering Knee Independent Underground Wrestling *Bane *Triple Six *Mike Wilson *Breakneck Tiger Category: FEDX Alumni Category: IUWX Alumni Category: Fantasy Booking Alumni Category: Fed Owners Category: Executives Category: XWA Alumni Category: CWF Alumni Category: EWO Alumni Category: Italian-Americans Category: wMw Alumni Category: IEWA Alumni Category:Revolutionary Cup Champions Category:IUWAR Alumni Category:Atherton Family Category:Anarchy Brawl Winners Category:CWF Grand Slam Champions